Anthology of Atticus
by palomino333
Summary: Five poems about the experiences and moral dilemmas Mr. Finch has and faces in his life. Warning: There is a racial slur quoted from the book in the fourth poem.
1. Even When She Was There

Back in high school, we had to do an art project on To Kill A Mockingbird for my English class. It could have been a song, a drawing, or a collection of five poems. I chose the third option, and centered the poems around Atticus Finch. This first one is about his relationship with his late wife.

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><p>The moment he secured his wife's hand,<br>Atticus deemed himself a lucky man.  
>"Fifteen years his junior" didn't matter at all,<br>When in love they did fall.  
>But as their golden sun did glow,<br>Following their every step was an ominous shadow.  
>"They said it ran in her family," was her shame,<br>Leaving all attempts to prevent its occurrence in vain.  
>The birth of a child traditionally brings celebration,<br>But twice to Atticus this event nearly became an abomination.

One day she did fall,  
>Answering death's final call.<br>Atticus felt himself cry,  
>For a sort of protectiveness within him did die.<br>Even when she was there, she was gone,  
>Dwelling in darkness while others lived in the dawn.<br>She couldn't smile during her wedding day,  
>For fear of her weak heart stealing her away.<br>She couldn't play ball with her son, or dance with her little girl,  
>Her poor health having already made her its churl.<br>He hadn't wanted to admit that she was never there,  
>Until now, for she is nowhere.<p> 


	2. Live For the Dawn

I especially loved doing this poem! Atticus is such a loving father to his children!

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><p>A new day is dawning,<br>While Mr. Finch's children awake from their peaceful slumber, yawning.  
>To be their father, he knows he must not dwell in shadow,<br>For that was the past, and to the future he must go.  
>For his children deserve far better,<br>Than a father who is too unhappy to be a go-getter.  
>With Calpurnia's assistance, he raised them right,<br>Taught young Jem and Scout how to fight,  
>Fight for what they believe,<br>But never try to deceive,  
>Many other frowned on his mission,<br>For letting his children call him Atticus broke all tradition.  
>But where they lived, there weren't other children their age,<br>So calling him this made him seem less of a sage.

He thought his children too young and innocent to return his favor,  
>But he was surprised when they protected him not too much later.<br>"It took an eight-year-old to bring 'em to their senses..." This was right,  
>For Atticus saw more of himself in his children with each passing night,<br>And as their innocence melted away,  
>With each passing day.<br>He lived for each dawn to see,  
>How much more proud of his son and daughter could he be.<p> 


	3. The Monster Reawakens

It was interesting to detail Atticus's mental battle with himself when he has to shoot the rabid dog. On one hand, he is a talented shot. On the other, a gun basically makes its wielder a sort of god. He or she chooses who lives, and who dies. Atticus doesn't want that power, but in the end, he must use it.

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><p>"I haven't shot a gun in thirty years—"<br>The return to his famous title was not met with cheers.  
>Atticus didn't want to hold the gun,<br>To be the cause of a life being done.  
>But he had no choice,<br>Said Heck's commanding voice.  
>Taking his steps slow,<br>Not wanting to show  
>The killer's seed,<br>The monster's evil deed.

But he saw the dog,  
>The plague that would encase his children in a pestilence fog.<br>He knew he had to let come back,  
>To stop this animal's vicious attack.<br>Bravely, he pushed his glasses up on his face,  
>And allowed the weapon to find its place.<br>In a blast of fire, it was done.  
>Atticus had won.<br>Everyone was fine,  
>And his inner demon had been drawn into line.<p> 


	4. He Did It Anyway

I apologize for the quoting of the racial slur in here. I incorporated it for two reasons. The first was that when I did this project in high school, at least two relevant quotes to the poem from the book were needed in order to receive an overall A. The second is that the quote adds more emphasis.

I can understand quite well why Atticus made the #1 on AFI's list of the top 100 heroes for the Twentieth Century. Despite the fact that he was defending an African American against an all-white jury in the South during the 1930's, he refused to give in. That is true integrity.

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><p>Atticus knew he wasn't going to win.<br>There was too much hate already added in.  
>This trial was unfair,<br>Of that he was well aware.  
>Yet he wanted to fight,<br>To protect this innocent man with all his might.  
>"Your daddy loves niggers" was one of many his children had to endure,<br>Though Atticus alone had to face much more.  
>A potential mob was headed toward him in the night's din,<br>And his son whispered in a terrified voice, "Someone might hurt him."

Yet he kept his view bright,  
>Never displaying the flag of white.<br>Some asked why,  
>While others didn't even try.<br>Atticus couldn't face his own family if he did not,  
>And leave that poor man to rot.<br>Black or white was not Atticus's concern,  
>But to find the true culprit did he yearn.<br>It did hurt, night and day,  
>But for the sake of his conscience, he did it anyway.<p> 


	5. To Destroy A Man

This is the last of the poems, and it was probably the one I had to go the furthest out on a limb to write. Bob Ewell wasn't satisfied that Atticus had lost the court case; he also wanted the lawyer to admit that his ideology on racial policy had been wrong. Now, I said in my previous comments on the last poem that in the novel, Mr. Finch shows true dedication; he wouldn't back down from Ewell without a fight. Bob, then, wanted to show him an example that hit home: the deaths of Scout and Jem. Thankfully, this did not happen in the story, but the fact remains that Ewell had been ready to cut down innocent lives in order to get his way. Since the story is told through Scout's narration, Atticus's emotions about the attempted murder are not clearly shown in the text. I had to create what his internal reactions could have been.

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><p>Ewell always wanted to win,<br>No matter what the cost or sin.  
>But when Atticus did not relent,<br>The madman decided to give him a little "present."  
>Two little bodies would be quite nice,<br>To make the lawyer squirm as if caught in a vice.

Atticus knew Bob wanted him dead,  
>But he had never expected him to go for his little ones instead.<br>"Someone's been after my children." Mr. Finch whispered in agony,  
>For he knew he was the reason this had come to be.<br>He should've been there to take the hits  
>That almost sliced his children to bits.<br>Almost in a self-centered way,  
>He thought that Ewell meant to eliminate only him that day.<br>But he never knew,  
>That this painfully false security wasn't true.<br>Bob had wanted to do far worse,  
>For breaking Atticus's spirit was his true curse.<p> 


End file.
